Kiwanis Club awards scholarships worth over $45,000

2024-25 Kiwanis Scholarship Awardee. Photo courtesy

The Kiwanis Club of Sanibel-Captiva has announced the recipients of its 18th annual scholarship award for the 2024-25 academic year. The scholarship recipients, along with their families and friends, were honored at a recent Kiwanis breakfast meeting.

Since its inception, the Kiwanis Scholarship Program has awarded 399 scholarships totaling more than $660,000. Eligible students must reside in Sanibel or Captiva or have parents who work on the islands. Selection criteria include academic achievement, commitment to volunteer service and financial need. Applications are reviewed by a panel of independent off-island educators.

This year, $45,500 in scholarships were awarded to 17 students who will attend various colleges and training programs. Funds for the scholarships are raised through Kiwanis events such as the Spaghetti Dinner, Diners Delight coupon book sales, the King Of The Rock Golf Invitational Tournament, and contributions from members and private donors. In addition, two special scholarships are funded through the Sam & Francis Bailey Islands Night Baseball event.

President Jeff Blackman said: “The club was particularly pleased to be able to provide this support to our island youth despite the disruption caused by Hurricane Ian, thanks to the generosity of our local community.”

This year’s scholarship recipients are Brooke Adams, McKenna Adams, Ivy Ankerson, Ben Arensman, Noah Barbot, Ava Binkowski, Sam Lessinger, Arabella Lilleslatten, Riley Mann, Morgan McCarty, Jackson McKee, Kaia Miller, Ronan Pailes, Daniel Romulus, Kiandre Smaller, Daniel Trier and Amy Walker. Special Islands Night Awards went to Morgan McCarty for athletics and Daniel Trier for community service.

For more information, visit the Kiwanis Club of Sanibel-Captiva website. ¦